1. The gold ring trick

A gypsy will coincidentally find a gold ring on the floor, point at the “18k” hallmark on the ring and offer it to you.

In reality it is just polished brass, but trust me, there ARE people who take it. It can be very convincing. It goes something like this:

Scammer: “Sir, did you drop this ring?”You: “No, I did not”Scammer: “Well, you can give it to your wife, why not? It will make her happy. They might also insist that their religion prevents them from keeping the ring.

If you accept, the gypsy will demand money in return. She will say:

Scammer: “Sir, I am hungry, can you give me some money / change for a croissant?”

If you give, they will ask for more. Most people tend to give as they have accepted / taken something from the scammer. Reciprocity is a powerful thing.

Sometimes, the scammer might walk away and reappear 5 minutes later to demand your money. Whatever it is, they will hound you until they get some money.

The most scheming ones will have an accomplice pickpocket you while you are protesting.

What to do:

If it is not yours, don’t take it.

2. Louvre pickpockets

Mona Lisa painting in Louvre

How it works:

I know, we are all here to see Mona Lisa and that’s the area where pickpockets operate.

There are usually large masses of people at the cordoned off area trying to snap pictures of the painting. It is squeezy and most are unaware of their surroundings, the perfect set-up for pickpockets.

Authorities have found that in one day in July alone, 56 stolen wallets were found in the museum! And these were just the discovered ones, imagine how many more went undiscovered..

Do be careful outside the Louvre as well. Queues are snakingly long and this presents a great opportunity for pickpockets too.

What to do:

Stay alert and watch out for suspicious characters, though that is easier said than done.

Get a good travel insurance (e.g. World Nomads, trusted by Lonely Planet and National Geographic – our review) which covers loss of valuables.

4. The string / bracelet scam

How it works:

This is a standard scam in Europe (e.g. Italy, Greece) and is common around the Sacre Coeur / Montmartre area, Seine River, Louvre, Gare du Nord, and metro lines leading to the Montmartre area.

They are easy to spot as they carry long, colored string, yarn or other items.

The standard trick:

They ask if you want a “friendship bracelet” or “friendship ring”.

If you say yes, they tie it so tight around your wrist or finger that it is impossible to remove.

Payment will be demanded. If refuse, his accomplices will emerge to bring you to the nearest ATM.

Another variation:

The scammers ask if you want to see a magic trick.

Quick as lightning, they then tie a band around your wrist or fingers.

A different style:

Couples are targeted and they offer a string / bracelet to the woman for free.

Should she accept, another will pop out to offer the man, who accepts as well assuming it is free.

Payment will now be demanded for both.

More ruthless variation:

While one scammer ties and distracts, another steals.

What to do:

Stay alert and stay away.

Keep your hands well hidden in your jacket or pockets if you walk past them.

Single female travellers should take extra precaution.

5. Ball and cup / shell game / three pea scam

How it works:

The ball and cup / shell game / three pea game / trilero scam is everywhere in Europe (e.g. UK, Germany, Italy), and is commonly seen at the Champs-de-Mars park behind Eiffel Tower.

To win, you have to bet which one of three cups contain a pea or a ball, after a scammer switches the cups around a few times. Guess correctly and you double your money.

At the game, you will spot a bunch of people – they are all part of the same gang. One will switch the cups around, one will play the game, three to five will act as the onlookers, and one will be on the lookout.

The trick is that the scammer switching the cups will make it painfully obvious which cup the pea / ball is in when the accomplice plays to make it seem like an easy game.

However, once you are hooked and join the game, they will use a sleight of hand trick to switch the pea / ball without you realizing at the last moment.

Do not be a spectator too, as you leave yourself open to being a pickpocket target by the accomplices.

What to do:

Stay away.

6. Petition scam

How it works:

This scam is perpetuated by young girls working in groups.

You can find them in Paris (area around Eiffel Tower) and in Lyon (Rue de la République, outside Part-Dieu station).

It usually starts with an innocent question: “do you speak English”? There are a few variations of this scam.

Firstly, someone will try to hold your attention as they get you to understand the petition and to sign it. Next moment, your wallet is gone. It could be done stealthily, or a bunch of people could simply mob you.

Another variation would be young girls approaching you to sign a petition to help save the world / help the deaf / the mute etc. They might pretend to be deaf / mute themselves.

A clipboard is shoved in your face, and you see several signatures and some French words. These words basically mean that if you sign, you have to give 1,000 euros or you will face a penalty.

If you don’t pay, more kids will appear out of nowhere to pressure you to pay. While distracted, you become an easy pickpocket target.

Finally, be wary of the creative ones who place the clipboard on your table (assuming you are at a restaurant / cafe).

When you chase them away, you will realize that any valuables which you have laid out on the table will have disappeared as well.

What to do:

Firmly decline and walk away.

7. Ticket reuse scam

Louvre Museum

How it works:

Recent reports have exposed this scam, where entry tickets to renowned attractions are being constantly reused by unlicensed dealers (suspected to be rouge tour agencies in China).

For instance, at the Louvre museum in Paris, what these unlicensed dealers do is to buy the tickets, hand them out to a tour group and then collect them back again after the group is done.

This batch of tickets is then handed over to another tour group, and it is estimated that these tickets can be reused up to 7 times in a day.

This is quite a smart scam but it’s only a matter of time before the authorities clamp down on it.

So if you are to get a ticket from a shady tour operator or an unlicensed seller, there is a good chance in future that your ticket is not going to work.

What to do:

First, only engage a licensed, reputable tours and activities operator which you can find via:

TourRadar: all the best multi-day tours by established names like Intrepid Travel, G Adventures, etc can be found here – e.g. most popular tours include: